Distributor



Mv MALLORY DISTRIBUTOR Filed June 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 11, 1934 1,984,276

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISTRIBUTOR Marion Mallory, Detroit, Mich,assignor to Mallory Research Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation ofDelaware Application June 12, 1933, Serial No. 675,387

2 Claims. (01. 200-21) The chief object of this invention is to reduce17. The rotor 32 is rotated by the cam shaft 29 the interference with aradio set installed on a through the cam 30. A breaker mechanism 31 iscar, created by the ordinary high tension disshown by means of which theprimary circuit is tributor. made and broken. The roof 16 is supportedby Normally, the distributor rotor has a radial a cylindrical portion 47(which is connected to 5 clearance of 1/64", which, in actual practice,is the base 34 by the spring clamp 26), in which variable sothatsometimes it is nothing and again rotates the drive shaft 27 anddisc 28, between it may be depending on the eccentricity of which andthe shaft 29 is located a centrifugal the rotor. governor (not shown).

0 If the high tension terminals are made flush It will be noted that thehigh tension terminals 1 with the surface of the roof of thedistributor, 18, 21 and 24 in Fig. 2 are located on the outside then therotor rubbing against the terminals picks of the rail 17, and the hightension terminals 19, up particles of metal, which scratch the insula-22 and 23 are located on the inside of the rail. tion of the roofbetween the terminals, and even- The burning away or arcing on the disc33 is thus tually irregular arcs are formed as before, which balanced.15 arcs set up disturbances which influence the aeri- In Figure 3, theterminals 18, 19 etc. are located al on the car and interfere with radioreception. in a. groove formed between the rail 17 and the If the C acould be u h t and mainouter casing 47. The disc 33 is thus allowed totained at a constant minimum distance, then the ride on the shelf inwhich the groove is formed.

20. irregular arcs would neyer be formed and the In Figures 5 and 6, thedisc rides on a rail 1'7. disturbance originating in the distributorcould but, in this case, the terminals 18 and 19 are all be greatlylessened. located on the inside of the rail, and not alter- In the a snatively on both sides as in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation taken In Figures 7 and 8, thehigh tension terminals On the Plane o Figure 2. 18 and 19 are arrangedin a groove formed be- 25 Figure 2 is a plan view looking up on theplane tween the double rail 17. 2-2 of Figure 1. In Figures 9, 10 and11, the electrodes 18, 19 Figures 3 and Corresponding w Figures 1 etc.are arranged in recesses in a shelf 17 formed and 2, show an alternativeconstruction. on the side of the cover 47. These recesses are u e 5 and6 ho anot alte iiti COII- connected by a shallow groove, which has awidth 30 struction. equal to that of the high tension terminal 18,Figures 7 and 8 show another alternative conso that any pitting orbuilding up that takes struction. place on the face of the disc 33, dueto arcing, Figures 9, 10 and 11 show another alternative will notscratch that portion of 17 of the rail construction. upon which the disc33 slides. 35

In the figures: When the outer terminals are arranged, as in 10 is themain high tension central lead which Figures 1 and 2, so that the railconstitutes a admits the high tension current for distribution barrieror partition between successive termiby the distributor. 11 and 12 aretwo of the high nals, this prevents a spark from starting at the tensionleads, leading out of the distributor to the base of one of theseterminals and traveling along spark plugs (not shown). 15 is a capscrew, holdthe surface of the bakelite to the next terminal. ing the cap14 to the rubber pad 13 in which the That is, the path is madesuiiiciently longer by leads are securely held. This rubber pad is theinterposition of the partition to force the crushed against the roof 16of the distributor, so spark to Jump at the top of the terminal. Jumpasto tightly grasp the leads 10, 11 and 12. In the ing of the spark inthis manner is also substanroof 16 o! the distributor is a rail 1'7against which tially prevented by the formation of notches or rides ametal disc 33, carried by the rotor 32, in recesses in the rail 17 inthe vicinity of the a well known manner. The high tension wiresterminals, as shown more particularly in Figure 10, 11 and 12 terminateat the high tension ter- 10, thereby increasing the air gap between theminals 18, 19 and 20. The central terminal 20 is rail and the end of theterminal, because a spark 50 in contact with the metal strip on top ofthe rotor will travel with appreciably less resistance along 32, andthus is electrically connected with the a surface than across an airgap, even though metal disc 33. The other two terminals 18 and thesurface is formed by a good insulating 19 project from the roof so as tobe almost, but material.

not quite flush with the upper surface of the rail Another disadvantageof not having a relief 55 around the terminal is that the rotor, if itis spring loaded, will tend to rebound and dig into the charred area onthe trailing side of the terminal. If the edge of the rotor blade issharp or square, some of the wearings from the metal will often becomeembedded in the charred portion of the track. If there is an air gaparound the terminal, there can be no burning of the bakelite around thetrailing side thereof, and the attendant troubles are avoided.

Any normal particles of wear, especially of the metal rotor blade, arewiped into the circular relief or into the groove instead of beingembedded in the track. Several attempts have been made in the past touse a wiping typeof rotor with terminals set in a smooth bakelitesurface, but it gave so much trouble in production that it had to beabandoned for the conventional jump type of high tension distributor.Metal particles would become embedded in the track and would in timecause the spark to jump across to an adjacent terminal.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.671,667, filed May 18th, 1933. Distributors.

What I claim is:-

1. In a distributor, the combination with a rotor having a metal bladethereon, of a housing provided with a roof of insulating material, acentral terminal constantly connected to said blade, and a plurality ofsuccessive outer terminals adjacent the path of the outer end of saidblade, said roof being formed with a rail, over the surface of which theblade rides, said rail being arranged to constitute a partition ofinsulating material between successive outer terminals.

2. In a distributor, the combination with a rotor having a metal bladethereon, of a housing provided with a roof of insulating material, acentral terminal constantly connected to said "blade, and a plurality ofsuccessive outer terminals adjacent the path of the outer end of saidblade, the inside of said roof being formed with a raised surface, alongwhich the outer end of said blade rides, said raised surfaceconstituting a partition between successive outer terminals.

MARION MALLORY. V

